Sunday, July 13, 2008 House likely to approve Lapu-Lapu district bill: Ruiz
LAPU-LAPU City may soon become a lone district before 2010, as redistricting the province of Cebu will come later that year because some congressmen are not keen on letting go some towns under them.
Sixth District Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz is confident that the Lapu-Lapu City lone district bill, House Bill (HB) 1306, will be approved ahead of the Cebu province redistricting bill because it is a local bill and no Cebuano Congressman will object.
It may even be approved ahead of the bill making Mandaue City a lone district.
If Lapu-Lapu City will become a lone district, it will have its own representative in Congress, opening a government seat for those eyeing higher political positions.
Proposal
HB 1306 proposes to lump Consolacion, Liloan and Cordova as one district and make Lapu-Lapu City a lone district in the province of Cebu.
Ruiz, the other day, said she will present HB 1306 on second reading, upon resumption of congress this July 28, 2008, in the form of committee reports in the plenary session.
The congresswoman is confident that no congressman will go against her proposed bill since it will not involve funds and it is a local bill.
By next year the bill will reach the Senate and Ruiz is confident that it will be approved before 2010.
Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco yesterday assured that he will not object to the bill since he knows Ruiz already made consultations before she filed it. He also trusts Ruiz as the one who knows her territory more than other congressmen.
But her neighboring district representative, 5th District Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano IV, was earlier quoted as saying that he will lose the town of Liloan when it will be lumped with Consolacion and Cordova towns to form another district.
Groupings
Making Mandaue City a lone district needs another legislation, Ruiz admitted. Ruiz’s chief of staff Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on said the move will surely affect district groupings in Cebu since it will isolate Consolacion and Cordova.
This is also another reason, said Ruiz, that the legislation to change Cebu’s district boundaries will have a hard time getting other congressmen’s nod.
Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy is one of those who opposed Ruiz’s bill. He said that long before Lapu-Lapu City became highly urbanized in a plebiscite in July last year, Mandaue city’s population was already more than 250,000 and this is already enough to make the city a lone district.
Mandaue city’s population now is 318,575, but no move had been initiated to make it a lone district. (OCP)
